Goodbye to Thomas Tuchel a Big name emerged former known big name Scotland manager to replace him as England manager

Six contenders to replace Thomas Tuchel as England boss – and the one I’d pick
The German belongs in the elite tier but there are better options out there right now

England lumped on an elite manager to secure the second star – at great cost – and they leave America with nothing more than a devastating sense of deja vu. The brutal truth is that if the mission was to win the 2026 World Cup, Thomas Tuchel has failed.

FA chief executive Bullingham fudged it before the tournament by extending Tuchel’s contract and then suggesting that success could be measured in other ways.

He put forward England’s quarter-final exit in Qatar in 2022 – after a series of decent performances and running France close in the last eight – as proof that sometimes an early knockout comes with compelling mitigation.

But where are the caveats from Wednesday night? Tuchel did it his way, picking a squad that confounded many in May, and was found wanting against Argentina. The elite, tournament manager hired to do elite things in the big moments came up short.

So with a manager who has no skin in the game when it comes to the development of English football, it surely makes sense to cast around for options.

A home Euros should focus minds. If England are in the business of winning, perhaps it is time to be ruthless.

If the logic behind having Tuchel in charge is that England’s players needed a 24-carat coach in the big moments, then it is time to get ruthless.

Tuchel belongs in the elite tier but Pep Guardiola’s availability means there is now better out there – so what are the FA waiting for?

They have the money and the project that can persuade the Catalan. And it is not as if they have not tried to get him before, putting out the feelers two years ago when Gareth Southgate left.

If we are a nation that turns to guns for hire, then Guardiola is the best of the best. He is also a dedicated Anglophile whose stint at Manchester City has given him a deep love for English football, so everything Tuchel has said about the domestic game applies to Guardiola too.

The struggles of Julian Nagelsmann, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino illustrate that success at club football is no guarantee. But come on, this is Guardiola. It is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity with a generational coach.

Eddie Howe

Two years ago, it appeared to outsiders that the stars were aligning for Eddie Howe to take a job he would have spoken about in awed terms.

But those who knew Howe and what was happening at Newcastle United always felt it an unlikely match given the esteem in which he was held.

Things have moved on since then. Howe is under pressure and so is the Newcastle project, which is straining under financial fair play rules and some recruitment missteps.

An approach now would test the resolve of both club and manager.

The one thing you could not accuse Lee Carsley of during his interim spell in charge was timidity.

Okay, the opposition was modest in the second tier of the Nations League – Greece were the toughest opponents he faced – but there was out of the box thinking and an attempt to play to our attacking strengths in a largely successful campaign. Jude Bellingham thanked him for putting a smile back on his face playing for England.

He would be the obvious project man given his work with the Under-21s and as Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente have shown, sometimes a specialist in international football is the right route to go.

A dark horse for the job in the future.

Frank Lampard

Perhaps unfairly maligned for failure at Chelsea – he is not alone there – Frank Lampard has bounced back at Coventry City.

He has also shown a dedication to his coaching craft which suggests he is a very serious candidate for the England job in the future.

Perhaps he isn’t the ruthless Tuchel-style appointment, but he is well thought of by progressive Premier League clubs.

Mauricio Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino would have been near the top of most lists two years ago.

But after the United States’ limp exit from the World Cup – and a largely mediocre spell in charge – his stock has fallen dramatically.

He might do better with better players but his is a cautionary tale: pick the right job or suffer the consequences.

Jurgen Klopp

For Jurgen Klopp, see the Guardiola reasoning. If you are a relentless winning machine and want someone who can bring rock and roll attacking football in the big moments, you attempt to disrupt Germany’s move for Klopp.

Steve Clark after been he resigned as Scotland manager he has the high chance for taken over as England manager